Fate
by aurorstar18
Summary: They parted ways, but things have a funny way of righting themselves.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: I needed to get my head cleared of Journey for a while, I felt it was getting a bit stale. I'm not abandoning it, just taking a break. So in the meantime, something a little different. I hope enjoy enjoy it!_

xxx

There was an eerie silence in the air. The sound of ringing bells from the town below rode ominously on the wind and dark clouds gathered in the sky above. Hs words lingered, echoing.

"Never?"

"Never."

He slumped, defeated. He wanted nothing more in that moment than for the earth to swallow him up right there and then.

The other man shrugged but it was hard for him to keep his composure. As he got into his truck and gripped the wheel, he could feel his knees shaking, threatening to give out on him at any second if he didn't sit down, and his lip quivered as he drive away, not daring to glance in his rear mirror for fear his resolve would break and he'd end up exactly where he'd started.

He turned the key and the engine roared to life, breaking the silence and sending a flock of birds skyward. He wrenched the truck into gear and floored the pedal, and flew down the dirt road and away from his troubles.

The other man let out a choked sob, sighed heavily, left with nothing but the sound of birds in the trees above him and a weight in his chest, warning him that his life was never going to be the same.

And that should have been where their story ended.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: I'm having a bit of trouble uploading some of this because I'm on holidays and doing most of this writing from my iPad, and is not very mobile friendly for uploading. I have a few chapters written ahead and I have a long airport wait tomorrow, I think, so I'll hopefully get either more written or more uploaded then. Hope you're enjoying the story._

**Jack**

Once back at home, Jack threw himself into his work and his family life. He sold a total of four harvesters in one week, earning him his father in laws' pride, and though he'd never admit it, his admiration as well. There was no denying that Rodeo was a charismatic and relatable salesman and because of that, he was moving up in his career.

His family life was also flourishing. He and Lureen managed to save enough to take Bobby on a trip to the mountains, and he attended every little league match of Bobby's wearing team colours and waving signs. He was spending so much time with his family that Lureen was growing suspicious.

One evening, she cornered him in the kitchen, "Jack, what's goin' on with you?"

He turned from the dishes he'd been washing and stared at her, trying to contort his face into something that resembled confusion, but knowing full well what she was talking about, "What d'you mean?"

She sighed in frustration, "Last few months, you been awful..." She trailed off, staring into her hairline, looking for the right word, "... Awful present."

"Present?" He picked up a dish cloth and dried his hands on it, threw it onto the counter and pulled her in close to him, hooking his fingers into her belt loops, "Ain't that a good thing?"

She hummed and slung her arms around his waist, "It just happened awful sudden, that's all." She stared up at him, "An' you don't spend much time with your friends anymore."

As soon as the words left her mouth, he wanted to let go of her and retreat to his office and brood, but he forced himself to stay. He sighed heavily, "I see the guys from work sometimes," he feigned a light hearted shrug, "We go out drinkin' often."

"The boys from work do not count, Jack."

"Then who?"

"How's about that fishin' buddy you used to go to Wyoming to visit all the time?"

All of a sudden, Jack felt like he'd been punched in the stomach, and tears threatened at the corners of his eyes, "Uh... We don't see each other anymore."

Sensing that she'd dug just a little too deep into her husbands emotions, Lureen left it alone.

They went to bed and Jack undressed her slowly, trying to imagine that the skin underneath his hands was not his wife's but that of a man who had walked out of his life months earlier, trying to salvage the memories of a relationship he'd cherished perhaps too dearly.

**Ennis**

The next few months passed in an alcohol fuelled haze for Ennis. He lived his life by a schedule, and he rarely broke it. Wake up, work, eat, get drunk, sex, sleep. Rinse, repeat.

Sex with Alma was excruciating. There was no longer any love or life in it. Both of them knew that they were only doing it because they felt like they should. Alma was still desperately in love with her husband, but she was growing resigned to the fact that it was impossible to maintain a relationship with him when he was so distant, so she settled for whatever she could get out of him.

It was a life devoid of happiness. Ennis grew withdrawn, the dark circles under his eyes and pallid skin were worrying to his wife but she said nothing for fear of what she might uncover.

xxx

And so life went on for the two men. Days dawned, days went. Days turned into weeks, weeks into years, life went on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Jack**

"_Mr Twist,_

_You have been invited to the 1972 Farming and Equipment Convention in Cody, Wyoming, to represent L.D Newsome and his business. Please RSVP as soon as possible to confirm your attendance._

_Sincerely,_

_E.M Campbell."_ Jack read aloud, and looked up at Lureen, who'd been reading over his shoulder.

She raised her eyebrows, "Is this my daddy's doin'?" She asked.

"I dunno, but if it were, it were awful kind o' him."

She chuckled, "That don't sound like my daddy."

"It sure don't," He picked up the letter, "Looks like I'm going to Wyoming though."

xxx

Being back in Wyoming made jack more than a little nervous. He had to keep reminding himself that it was a big state and there was no guarantee that he even lived there anymore.

The plane landed in the early morning and his conference began in the evening, so he got his rental car and, like he was on auto pilot, managed to find himself in the parking lot of what had once been his and Ennis's favourite hotels. His tyres crunched on the gravel as he rolled up in front of the office doors.

"Jack!" He heard his name as soon as he walked through the doors. The woman behind the counter was a busty woman of about 50 years, with platinum blonde hair, and who wore more red lipstick than all of the barmaids in Texas combined.

"Carla!" He greeted her, shaking her hand over the counter, "How're ya?"

"Cain't complain, I 'spose." She shrugged, "And how about you, handsome? What about that business partner o' yours?"

His heart began to pound, "We parted ways a long time ago." He tried to keep the sadness from his voice.

"Aw," she frowned, "That's a damn shame. Seemed like you boys was good together." She handed him the key to the room they once used to share, and he inwardly cringed, "Mind if I take a different room?"

"Jack, you'll never believe it," she shook her head, "That there is the only one we got left. At least until 3pm." Seeing his expression, she added, "There's a neat little inn just down the street, I'm sure they'd have something. I could call ahead for you."

He shook his head, "This one'll do just fine, thank you ma'am."

She gave him a soft smile, "You be sure to call me if you need anythin'."

He touched a finger to his hat and left the office, slammed the door of his truck as he got in ("Goddamn fuck!" He'd cursed.) and rolled the vehicle over to the parking space just outside the door marked with an eight. He took out his bag, slung it over his shoulder and stood outside the door, laying a hand against the peeling burgundy paint.

Stepping into the room was like taking a step back into the past. Nothing had changed. The two beds were still made up with the same greying linen, the drapes were still the same dusty red they'd always been and he could have sworn he could see a stain on the carpet from where Ennis has spilt a bottle of beer during one of their nastier fights in their earlier days.

He sat down on the edge of the bed closest to the tiny, grimy window and tried not to cry.

The conferences official start wasn't until the next day, but there was a welcome dinner in the evening, and he was expected to attend, but it wasn't until the evening and it was still early, so Jack decided to take a nap. He slept fitfully, plagued by dreams of Ennis, on Brokeback, their first night together, desperate for companionship, finding something in each other they would never find in anyone else. He awoke in a sweat and was afraid to close his eyes again.

The first night of the conference, the dinner, was exactly how LD warned him it might be, kissing the asses of companies more powerful than their own, having his ass kissed by the independents, and lots of small talk and chit chat.

"But enjoy it, Rodeo," LD had said, "The two days followin' this'n will just be you and the booth, waitin' for folks to want to buy our product."

He wasn't complaining though, there were performers in very little clothing dancing around the room. A young lady with lots of red hair and freckles seemed to be paying him a lot of close attention, and he liked it.

However, he realised the next day, to his disgust, that LD had been right. The first day of the conference was completely uneventful. He sat in a booth behind a table laden with brochures and catalogues, he consulted with people, they ordered spare parts, consultations at their locations.

He took a bathroom break just after lunch. He put the sign up on his table and sauntered down the walkway towards the men's and he became aware of a tall, lanky cowboy with muddy boots and a sunburn across his nose whose attention he seemed to have captured. He kept walking but the man cornered him just outside the door.

"Rich." He said, extending his hand.

"Jack." He replied, taking it.

Before he could stop it, he was up against the wall of the single occupancy cubicle with his jeans around his knees and the other man inside of him. All he could do was try to suppress the noises coming from deep inside, and hold on and enjoy the ride.

When they were done, Rich handed him a card with his number on it, "Next time you're in Wyoming..."

Jack smiled, but as soon as he was gone, he tore up the card and flushed the pieces down the toilet.

Walking back down the walkway to his booth, he tried to shoo the image of Ennis out of his mind.

Laying in bed that night, he couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened in that room. The love, the hate, the fights, the apologies, the make up sex that was always mind-blowing. He tried to sleep, but found it impossible, so he called his wife.

When Lureen answered, her voice was hoarse and her words were sharp, "You better have a damn good reason for wakin' me up." He could swear he heard a mans laugh in the background.

"Lureen, it's me."

He heard her suck in a breath, "Jack, everythin' okay?"

He hummed, "Just couldn't sleep. I miss you."

"Aw, aren't you sweet," he could hear her smiling, "How's the conference?

His mind wandered back to the bathrooms after lunch with a random cowboy, "It's alright."

"Daddy's real happy that you're there, Jack."

"Happy he got me outta the house, you mean?"

She chuckled quietly, "I gotta go, baby. Bobby's got a game in the mornin', an early one."

They hung up and with something to think about other than Ennis (mostly his suspicion that his wife was having an affair, which he couldn't really complain about, given his recent activities), he was finally able to get to sleep.

Morning came and he dressed in a fresh white shirt, donned his hat and went to breakfast at the convention centre. He was joined by some of the big wigs he'd met at the welcome dinner, and some fellow stall holders. He got in some more ass kissing over coffee and croissants, all the while smirking at how proud LD would be if he knew.

He took his position at his stall just before the doors opened and when they were all ready, a flood of people flooded the centre.

It was a quiet morning for Jack. It seemed that no one was interested in farming equipment. Just like the day before, he took a bathroom break just after lunch and returned to a line at his stall and without even looking at the people in line, he sat down and got to work answering questions, handing out catalogues and filling orders.

He was almost finished when a voice said his name, and he almost dropped his pen. His heart near on stopped, and he knew if he spoke, his voice would crack. He looked up, right into Ennis's steely eyes.

"I..." He started.

"You stayin' at the White Horse?" Ennis cut him off.

Jack nodded.

"I'll be there at 6."

Anger suddenly bubbled up inside of Jack and he cleared his throat, causing Ennis, who was about to walk away, to turn around and stare at him, "Make it 7.30. I have dinner plans."

Ennis nodded and disappeared into the crowd.


End file.
